Page 299 - Most balks, Division Series game - 1, Kevin Tapani, Chicago, 10/1/1998, Kevin Millwood, Atlanta, 10/7/2000, Andy Benes, St. Louis, 10/5/2002, Brett Tomko, 10/7/2006

Originally, this was going to be page 299 from the 2006 book, but that page was not interesting. So I switched to the 2007 online guide. Not that that page is any more interesting.

There has never been a balk by an AL pitcher in the Division Series. What does this mean? It means that umpires don't think Andy Pettitte balks.

The first balk in the divsion series came in Game 2 of the Cubs-Braves series. The Cubs had to beat the Giants in a tiebreaker to make it to the postseason. The Braves had won Game 1, 7-1, but in Game 2, Tapani pitched a tremendous game and he was nursing a 1-0 going to the ninth. With one out, Javier Lopez homered to tie it up. The Braves won the game in the 10th on a Chipper Jones single. Tapani's balk came in the sixth with Michael Tucker on second with one out and the Braves stranded him at third.

The next balk came in the 2000 series between the Braves and Cardinals. The Cardinals had won the first two games, 7-5 (which was Rick Ankiel's meltdown game as a pitcher) and then 10-4. The series moved to Atlanta for Game 3.

Milwood started against Garrett Stephenson. The Cardinals went ahead right away when Fernando Vina led off with a homer. The Braves tied it up, but a JIm Edmonds two-run homer in the third put the Cardinals back ahead. With two outs in the top of the fifth, Edgar Renteria walked and stole second and MIllwood balked him to third. Edmonds doubled home Renteria and Millwood left and the Cardinals went on to a 7-1 win.

In 2002, the Cardinals won the first two games against defending World Series champion Arizona in Phoenix, beating Randy Johnson and then Mike Koplove in relief of Curt Schilling. Game 3 in St. Louis was a matchup of Benes and Miguel Batista. With two outs in the top of the first, Steve Finley drew a walk and Benes balked him over to second, where he failed to score. The Cardinals won the game 6-3 with Jeff Fassero winning his second game in relief in the series and Miguel Cairo went 3 for 3.

The most recent balk came in another titanic NLDS, last year's Dodgers-Mets series. The Mets won the first two games and were leading the Dodgers 7-5 going to the 8th. Dodgers manager called on Tomko to relieve and he was, like most of the Dodger pitchers that day, awful. Chris Woodward doubled, Jose Reyes lined out, Paul Lo Duca singled home Woodward and then Tomko balked. Carlos Beltran followed with a walk and Tomko's postseason was over. Soon to be followed by the rest of the Dodgers. The game was lasted an NL record 3:51. The extra inning record for the NL was a brief 5:50 for the Astros and Braves in 2005.

Sources: Retrosheet, Sporting News Complete Baseball Record Book